And the winner is

What’s the point of submitting work for awards?

I'm probably only asking this as we at GPJ have been lucky enough to win a few over the last few weeks.

As I sit here admiring the booty

(That's the other meaning of the word booty)

Its worth pondering the question.

So there is ego stroking of course.

But that's not it.
They teach us to blow our trumpet.
To sing the praises of our clients and colleagues.
Celebrate the things we do well, and acknowledge those magic moments when it all comes together.
But that's not it.

More importantly for me, is the submissions process.

It is a great chance to brush up on our storytelling skills.
What we say and how we say it.
It brings out the anecdotes and the inside scoop.
It forces us to be compelling because we want to win.
That way, even if we don’t win, it can help us win more business.
And remember, of course it’s an honour just to be nominated.

See you all at Eventia on Friday

Jump around, jump, jump.....jump around!

The Experience is a very "real" form of communication.

There is no hiding behind a facade when you are out there face to face with the community you are trying to reach

That’s maybe why I love it so much

Face to face beats everything else for me.

Even e-mail or IM and BBM for you crazy kids out there.
I came across and interesting piece of research the other day

Two groups

Let’s call them A and B

I hate long introductions

Group A

All met each other face to face and had time to get to know one another in person.

Then both Groups were then given a conflict to resolve by e-mail

Group B had no face-to-face meeting or face to face communications.

6% of the Group A failed to arrive at a good resolution.

And Group B?

You know its going to be more....set your eye balls to stun.

39% couldn’t agree

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Get up from thy desk and walk ..........

Straight from the dragon's mouth

I don't know if you caught Dragon Peter Jones' programme How We Made Our Millions last night on BBC

Here it is on iplayer

He was trying to discover if there was a defining trait in successful people.

I had the same thought around agencies.

There are two types of agencies.

Those that win and those that don’t.

Now, presuming that they have a fairly equitable distribution of talent, what separates them?

I think it’s the willingness to do what needs to be done.

Education expert Frank Banks once said “If you really want to do something, you'll find a way.
If you don't, you'll find an excuse."

If your heart’s not in it, you’ll never win.

It’s always easy to spot the people who derail your chances.

They’ve got a million and one reasons not to try.

They use up far more energy protesting than they would just getting the job done.

Funny enough Peter's conclusion was much the same.

Don't take no for an answer.

You're a brand

We've been looking at internal communications for a number of clients recently

In one of the meetings we wanted to shake up the thinking a little so we decided to put everyone in the room on the spot by asking them what their personal brand stood for.

Slightly unfairly, but very enlightening.

Some responded instantly, others took their time.
All of them realised that the point was about the power of the personal brand.
All the leaders and senior figures in our lives stand for something unique, even if it’s not necessarily something that we like.
Your true value to a company isn’t just doing your job, that’s what you get paid for.
If you are thinking “If I do what I’m told, I’ll always be valuable.”
Then you are mistaken.
That viewpoint only commoditises what you do and there is not real value in that, because in reality, all you’re doing is filling a hole.
The key to getting ahead is finding the thing (or things) you can bring to the business that no-one else can.
The more the company that you work with recognises that and "invests" in it, the greater the results for all.

That’s what’s irreplaceable, where you create value for the company and yourself.
So what’s your brand?

A quick thought

They say practice makes perfect.
You know what else makes perfect?
Long, laborious processes.

Second guessing.

Arguing about minute detail.

Fine tuning

Last minute changes

Here's the deal .
You can get something 100% right, but take ....forever in delivering it.
Or you can be quick off the mark, first to respond and know that you’ll be 99% there. .
I know which one I’d always choose.
How about you?
Be quick, the clock’s ticking.